India's Massive Blackout Calls for Smarter Grid, from the Bottom up

Greentech Media

The only good thing about India’s daily blackouts is that when there’s a truly massive power outage, people are prepared for it.

Thus, when the power went out across eight northern Indian states early Monday morning, leaving some 370 million people in the dark, most of the critical facilities — Delhi’s international airport, hospitals and police stations, large-scale commercial and industrial power users and higher-end homes and apartments — were ready to go with backup generators.

But everyday people were stuck with no light, no heat, and no public transportation. Traffic jams snarled thoroughfares without traffic lights, rail commuters were stuck in stalled electric trains, and small businesses had to close.